Furniture leg guard

ABSTRACT

A floor protector for protecting a floor surface from marring by a furniture leg is described. The protector has a base portion and a top portion. The base portion has an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface includes a floor contact surface that will not mar a floor surface. The outer surface may be con form to the floor surface or to the leg bottom surface. One or more sidewalls extend from the base and there is an opening for receiving a furniture leg. Either the opening or the sidewalls are slightly smaller in cross section than the furniture leg so that the furniture leg is retained in the protector when the leg is lifted.

This is a conversion of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/602,743 filed Aug. 19, 2004

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to protective covers for furniture legssuch as table legs, chair legs and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In many of the older schools across the country the flooring in many ofthe classrooms is frequently asbestos floor tiles. These tiles were oncevery popular because of their fire retardant properties. Many oldschools used wood floors that were highly varnished. Earlier linoleumfloors used linseed oil and other comestibles in the manufacture offlooring. Because of concerns about the flammable nature of these typesof floors many schools and other public buildings went to asbestos floortiles years ago. While the asbestos floors had far superior fireretardation properties there have been many concerns about the asbestosin schools and other public buildings. As time has gone on and we havelearned more about the health effects of asbestos particles, asbestosfloor tiles have not been used in newer construction. However, theremoval of the tiles from older schools is expensive and the removalprocess can create harmful asbestos dust. Thus, although asbestos isknown to cause health issues in people who breathe in the fibers, manyolder buildings have not had to remove all of the asbestos in thebuilding if the asbestos is not sufficiently subject to becomingairborne in day to day use. Thus, many buildings that have asbestosshingles or asbestos floor tiles have not had to undergo expensiveremediation to remove these types of asbestos products from areas wherethe users come into contact with them.

Although many schools have not had to remove asbestos floor tiles, theseschools are not without health and other concerns from the tiles. As thestudents and teachers sit at their desks, the friction from thecontinual back and forth movement of the students in their chairs cancause the floor tiles to abrade and dust containing the asbestos can begenerated. The chairs used in many schools have metal feet or otherrough hard material and the friction of the chair along the floor canwear away the surface of the tile generating dust that will becomeairbom and subject to being breathed in by the students.

In addition to the problems with asbestos tiles in schools, there areissues even in schools without these tiles. Even in the schools withoutthe asbestos tiles parents do not want their children breathing in dustgenerated by rubbing the chairs along the floors. Also, when there is aclass of twenty to thirty students the periodic movement of the chairsalong the floor can create considerable noise that can distract andannoy the teacher and the other students. The friction of the chairalong the floor also increases maintenance costs by requiring morefrequent polishing and refinishing of a floor. For many wood floorsscratches and gouges have to be sanded out then refinished. Most woodfloors have a limited number of sanding before they have to be replaced.Thus, there is a need for protectors that may be applied to chair legsand table legs to prevent abrasion of the floor by the legs of chairsand the like as well as protectors that will prevent unnecessary noise.Most school chairs have metal glides. These glides have a tendency torust when they get wet from floor cleaning. The rust tends to becomeimpregnated in the floor unless it is periodically removed from theglides.

In addition to schools, there are many other locations where protectorsare needed for furniture on floors. For example, it is not uncommon formany homeowners to have hardwood floors in one or more rooms of thehouse. These floors are subject to scratches and dents and it is timeconsuming and pricey to repair and/or refinish these floors. Scratchesand dents in the finish of a hardwood floor may require that the floorsbe spot sanded to remove the scratches and then the area must berefinished with a stain and or a protective covering. Many such floorsalso have to be completely refinished if more than a few scratches areput into the floor and there is extensive sanding required.

There are several products that are available to protect floors fromdamage due to chairs, tables, etc. One common type is a round or squaremember usually made of plastic or hard rubber that has a top surface anda bottom surface. The bottom surface is relatively flat while the topsurface has a recess with a perimeter wall for receiving and retaining aleg of a chair or table. The recess is intended to prevent the leg fromsliding off of the protector as the chair or table is moved. These typesof protectors are used primarily for tables and other pieces offurniture that do not move except for rare occasions. These types ofprotectors can protect the floor from vertical stresses caused by forexample, the weight of the table or chair. However, their use under achair is usually problematic as they are not connected to the chair legin any way, and if the chair is moved, particularly rapidly, they do notusually accompany the chair as it is moved.

The problem with these types of floor protectors can be alleviatedsomewhat by another type or protector. These protectors are usuallyround or square disk shaped members that have a felt or other cloth onone side and an adhesive material on the other side. These protectorscan be secured to the underside of the tip a leg and the adhesive isintended to prevent the protector from being removed from the leg duringmovement of the table or chair. The felt or fabric on the underside ofthe protector provides a protective surface to prevent scratches to thefloor. While these protectors are an improvement over the priorprotectors, the problems of the prior protectors are still present.First, the adhesive is usually not strong and the adhesive tends to wearout or lose its potency over time particularly if it is removed from theleg, for example, for repositioning. As a result, the protectors do notremain on the underside of the legs for extended periods of time. Inaddition, as force is placed on the chair as it is moving, this forcetends to cause the pads to slide and become removed from the undersideof the chair leg.

One of the problems with many of the prior art protectors is that theirabsence from a chair or table leg is frequently not noticed until longafter the protector has fallen from the leg, and there can be seriousdamage to a floor in this period prior to its discovery. Also, theabsence of one or more of the prior art protectors can cause the chairor desk to wobble when used. Thus, unless the protectors are promptlyreplaced, there can be a great deal of annoyance to the user. As aresult, there is a need for an improved protector for floors that can beused on table and chair legs and the like. There is a particular needfor a protector that will remain on the leg when it is moved by theuser.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved protector forchair and table legs and the like.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improvedprotector that does not become removed from a leg when the leg is moved.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved protectorthat will prevent abrading of a floor surface.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved protectorthat will be retained by the leg of a table, chair or the like.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an improvedprotector that will remain on a leg when the leg is lifted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved floor protector for useon chair legs, table legs and the like. The protector preferably has abody that has a base portion that rests on a flooring surface. The baseportion is preferably made from a material that will not scuff or marthe floor surface as the protector is moved across the surface of thefloor. Extending from the base portion are one or more sidewalls thatextend from the base to an opening which receives the leg. The chair ortable leg is inserted into the opening in the protector. The chair ortable leg rests on the interior portion or surface of the base. Theexterior portion of the base contacts the floor and protects the floor.The protector of the present invention is preferably made from aresilient material so that when the protector is placed over the leg thematerial is expanded from a resting position and once it is placed onthe leg it attempts to retract or revert to its original size therebyproviding a snug fit to the leg and preventing the leg from falling offwhen the leg is raised from the floor or other surface.

The outside of the protector is preferably provided on an outer surfaceof the base section with a surface that permits the leg having theprotector thereon to readily move across the floor without unduefriction. The outside surface of at least the base may be provided witha soft, non-marring material such as felt fabric or cloth surface toprevent scratching of the floor surface. The protector may have anysuitable cross section such as round, square, rectangular or other asthe case may be for the protector to receive the leg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a representative embodiment of the protector orleg cover of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the opening of the protector or leg cover ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the protector or leg cover of the presentinvention positioned on a leg of a chair or table.

FIG. 4 is a side view of another representative embodiment of theprotector or leg cover of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the opening of the protector or leg cover ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an alternative embodiment of the protector or leg cover of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 is an alternative embodiment of the protector or leg cover of thepresent invention having a conical upper surface for receiving a leg.

FIG. 8 is an alternative embodiment of the protector or leg cover of thepresent invention having a conical upper surface for receiving a leg anda truncated cone shaped base.

FIG. 9 is a cross section of an alternative embodiment of the protectoror leg cover of the present invention having a recessed upper surfacefor receiving a leg.

FIG. 10 is an alternative embodiment of the protector or leg cover ofthe present invention having a conical upper surface with an extendedmember for receiving a leg.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As seen in FIG. 1, there is a protector or leg cover 10 for the leg of atable or a chair. The cover 10 has a base 11 that covers at least thebottom surface of the leg of a table or chair. In a preferredembodiment, there is at least one sidewall 12 extending upwardly fromthe base and covering at least a portion of the side surface of a leg.The side wall may be generally at a 90° angle to the base or it may haveany suitable shape. The protector shown in FIG. 1 has a bulbous shapewith a waist portion 13 on the base that is wider than the opening 11 inthe protector. The protector cover has an opening 14 for receiving a legof a chair. The opening may be round or square or other shape asdesired. It is preferred that the opening 13 or at least a portion ofthe side wall be slightly smaller than the largest cross section of theportion of the table leg that will be in the protector. That is, it ispreferred that the portion of the table leg that is received by thecover have at least one portion that is larger in cross section thaneither the opening or a portion of the cover. This will permit a goodfriction fit for the cover on the leg and will prevent the cover fromfalling off when the chair or table is moved. The opening 14 may bemerely an orifice extending from one side of the cover to the other sideof the opening. It may have a lip 15 to facilitate a friction fit withthe leg of the table or chair. The lip 15 may be about the insideperimeter of the opening 14. FIG. 2 shows a continuous lip. It will beappreciated that the lip can be discontinuous, i.e. having a pluralityof individual lip members that extend inwardly from the top edge of theopening. Although the figures show the lip 15 at the site of the opening14, the lip can be anywhere on the interior surface of the side wall 12.In another embodiment the opening may be in the form of a sheet ofmaterial 16 that extends generally from one side of the cover to theother. The sheet 16 may have an open area or orifice that receives aleg. In one embodiment there may also be one or more slits in a coverthereon that form an opening for receiving the leg of a chair or atable. In FIG. 2 the sheet 16 is shown with two slits, 17 and 18 thatgenerally form an X or a cross in the opening 14. These slits are pushedinwardly when the leg of a chair or table is inserted into the cover.The tabs 19, 20, 21 and 22 are generally triangular portions that areformed by the slits 17 and 18 and they provide an additional surfacearea. This additional surface area provides a further friction fit sothat the cover is not removed or falls off when the chair or table islifted by the user.

The sheet 16 may be over the opening 14 as shown in FIG. 2 or it may beextending inwardly from the interior surface of the sidewall 12 and notat the opening 14.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 4 and 6 the article of the present invention canhave a variety of different shapes. FIG. 1 shows an article that has abulbous cross section 13 that typically provides more surface area inits base 11 to contact the floor surface. FIG. 3 shows the article ofFIG. 1 with a leg 23 positioned therein.

The cover of the present invention is preferably made of an elasticmaterial so that the cover can expand slightly as the cover ispositioned over a leg and yet provide a snug fit when positioned overthe leg 22. As the leg is positioned in the cover the elastic materialexpands due to the force of the leg being inserted. As the force ofentry is released, the elastic material contracts to its restingposition where it snugly holds the cover in position.

FIG. 4 is an alternative embodiment of a cover 30 of the presentinvention. In this embodiment there is a front side wall 31, an opposingrear side wall 32 and two connecting side walls 33 and 34. Extendingfrom each of the side walls and the connecting walls at the base of thedevice is a base 35. The side walls 31-34 are generally at about 90° toeach other. Each sidewall has a first end 37 and a second end 38. Thefirst end 37 has a sheet over the end to form a cover 29. The second end38 is connected to the base 35. The base forms a closed surface and isthe area which contacts the floor. The base may be made of the samematerial as the sidewalls or may be a different material. At least aportion of the base should cover the entire floor contact surface of theleg when the leg of a chair or table is inserted into the cover. Ifdesired, the floor contact surface may be an additional layer ofmaterial over the base 35. When the floor contact layer is anothermaterial, it may be desirable to use a material that permits the chairor table to slide easily along the floor. Such materials include afabric or felt, a teflon or other material that has a low coefficient offriction on typical floors.

On the end of the cover opposite the base there may be a suitableopening such as is seen in FIGS. 2 and 5. The opening as seen in FIG. 2may be merely an orifice extending from one side of the cover to theother side of the opening. It may have a lip to facilitate a frictionfit with the leg of the table or chair. In another embodiment theopening may be in the form of a sheet of material that extends generallyfrom one side of the cover to the other. In one embodiment, the base maybe generally parallel to the sheet of material. The sheet may have oneor more slits 39 and 40 therein that form an opening for receiving theleg of a chair or a table. The slits may be generally form an X or across. These slits are pushed inwardly when the leg of a chair or tableis inserted into the cover. The tabs formed by the slits provideadditional surface area to provide a further friction fit so that thecover is not unnecessarily removed when the chair or table is lifted bythe user.

FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment of the leg protector of the presentinvention. In the leg protector 40 of FIG. 6 there is an opening 41 forreceiving a leg. The leg is placed in the protector and the outsidesurface of the leg contacts the inner portion of side walls 42 and 43 orthe sidewalls may be straight or parallel to each other. When theinterior portion of the sidewalls contact the chair legs the contacthelps prevent the protector from being removed from the leg.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In thisembodiment there is a body 51. In one portion of the body there is aconical portion 52 that extends upwardly from the body. The conicalportion is preferably a flexible material. At the end of the conical orpyramidal portion opposite the body there is an orifice 53 for receivinga leg. The orifice is preferably round. In another embodiment, theorifice can have a lip or a sheet material over the opening as shown inFIGS. 2 and 4.

FIG. 7 shows a representative example of an alternative embodiment ofthe present invention. There is a base 51 and a conical upper surface 52for receiving a leg. The base 51 may be a hemisphere as shown in FIG. 7or may be other suitable shape. The conical upper surface 52 has anorifice 53 for receiving a leg. The conical upper surface is preferablymade from a material that is flexible so that when a leg is insertedinto the orifice the conical portion inverts. Once the leg is inserted aslight pull on the leg will return the leg to its generally at restposition. Similar functions are present in FIGS. 8-10 as well.

FIG. 8 shows a base 60 that has at least one sidewall 61 that is at anobtuse angle to the flat portion 63 of the base. Over the side wallthere is an upper member 64 that may be a mirror image of the base or analternative shape. As shown in FIG. 8, there is an orifice 65 that ispresent on the upper member 64. The upper member has one or moresidewalls 66 that extend from the upper surface 67 of the sidewall 61 tothe orifice 65. The sidewall 66 may be at an obtuse angle to the orifice65. The orifice 65 may be just an opening or it may include a lipportion as described above. There may also be a cover section thatextends across the orifice as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. Slits may bepresent as well.

The cover of FIG. 9 has a generally U-shaped base portion 70 with abottom surface 71 that may be curved or flat. Opposite the bottomsurface, the base has an end 72 that contacts the upper member 73. Uppermember 73 may be generally conical and have a bottom edge 74 and asidewall 75. There is an orifice 76. The orifice may extend across thesidewalls. There may be a sheet over the orifice and slits if desired.FIG. 9 shows a neck portion 77 that has a top edge 78, an inner sidewall79. FIG. 9 shows a cross-section of a protector of the presentinvention. The protector of FIG. 9 can be generally circular when viewedfrom above.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the protector of the presentinvention. This protector 80 has a base portion 81 which is preferablyin the form of a hemisphere. There is a conical portion 82 that ispositioned on the upper edge of the base portion 81. The conical portion82 in the region of its apex has a tubular neck 83 ending in an opening84. The opening may have a lip like the lip 15 shown in FIG. 2. The baseportion 81 may have a curved bottom as shown in FIG. 10 or may have aportion that is flat.

1. A floor protector for protecting a floor surface from marring by afurniture leg comprising a base portion, said base portion having aninner surface and an outer surface, said outer surface including a floorcontact surface that will not mar a floor surface, one or more sidewallsextending from said base and an opening for receiving a furniture leg,either said opening or said sidewalls being slightly smaller in crosssection than the furniture leg so that said furniture leg is retained insaid protector when said leg is lifted.
 2. The floor protector accordingto claim 1 wherein said opening has a lip, said lip providing a frictionfit with said leg.
 3. The floor protector according to claim 1 whereinsaid opening has a sheet material thereon, said sheet material havingone or more slits therein.
 4. The floor protector according to claim 3wherein there are two slits that from a cross and a leg that is receivedby said protector is held in said protector by a friction fit withtriangular members by said slits.
 5. The protector according to claim 1wherein said base portion is a hemisphere and said sidewall is a conicalmember with an opening at the apex of said conical member.
 6. Theprotector according to claim 1 wherein said base portion is a hemisphereand said sidewall is a conical member, said conical member having atubular portion extending from an end of said conical member oppositesaid base portion, said tubular member having an opening for receiving afurniture leg.
 7. The protector according to claim 6, wherein saidopening has a lip extending inwardly from a sidewall of said tubularmember, said lip providing a friction fit with said leg.
 8. Theprotector according to claim 6 where said tubular member has a sheetover said opening in said tubular member, said sheet having one or moreslits therein.
 9. The protector according to claim 1 wherein said baseportion is generally U-shaped and circular in cross section, said baseportion having a bottom surface and a top edge, said top edge having aconical member thereon, said conical member having an opening forreceiving a leg.
 10. The protector according to claim 9, wherein saidopening has an interior sidewall extending toward said base portion,said interior sidewall providing a friction fit with a leg.
 11. Theprotector according to claim 1 wherein said base is generallyrectangular in shape and has four sidewalls extending therefrom, one endof said sidewalls opposite said base having a top member, said memberhaving an opening for receiving a leg.
 12. The protector according toclaim 11 wherein at least one of said sidewalls has an interior surfaceand an exterior surface and the exterior surface thereof is generallyconcave so that a portion of the interior surface of said sidewallcontacts a portion of a leg when said leg is inserted in said protector.